Pastor's Bloghttp://bellbowrie.org
Bellbowrie Community ChurchSun, 12 Aug 2018 22:10:39 +0000en-GBhourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.8http://bellbowrie.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/favicon.jpg-150x150.jpgPastor's Bloghttp://bellbowrie.org
3232God’s Design for Marriagehttp://bellbowrie.org/gods-design-for-marriage/
http://bellbowrie.org/gods-design-for-marriage/#commentsWed, 04 Oct 2017 23:19:48 +0000http://bellbowrie.org/?p=245Read More »]]>It is increasingly common to hear people claim that marriage is a human construct originating from Mesopotamia. However, the Bible teaches that marriage originates much earlier, that it was designed by God, right at the beginning as part of creation.

When some Pharisees asked Jesus about divorce (bearing in mind there must be marriage to be divorce); Jesus explained, not only that divorce was not part of God’s design for marriage, but also what God’s design is.

Jesus said God designed marriage at the beginning of creation, when He first created humans as male and female (Mark 10:6). At that time, even before the first people had parents, God’s design was that “a man will leave his mother and father and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate” (Mark 10:7-9; Matt 19:5-6). Marriage then, is the one-flesh union of a man and woman, designed by God at the beginning, for the first man and woman, and their descendants.

Looking at the creation account in Genesis, gives us more insight into God’s intention. But to understand this, we first need to recognise that God is a triune God. He is one God, yet subsisting of three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each person is fully God and equally God, yet each is also distinct and has a different role. They are not interchangeable, because they are different, yet they are one God.

The Bible records an interesting conversation between the three persons of the Godhead at creation, “Let us make humankind in our image” (Gen 1:26). And so, “God created humankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them” (Gen 1:27).

Since each person of the Godhead is fully God, yet also distinct and different, and since humans are created in His image; it makes sense that God created humans male and female, both fully human, yet also distinct and different. And in the same way that the three persons of the Godhead are equal, so too are both genders completely equal in value and personhood, with neither being superior (Gal 3:28). But in the same way that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct and different, with separate roles; so too are men and women distinct and different, with separate roles. While men and women share some similar qualities that make them human and compatible, they also have some unique qualities that the other gender does not have.

It is clear, even to a three-year-old child, that at a minimum, there are obvious biological, physiological, and psychological differences between males and females. This is not a uniquely Christian perspective, just look at the all-time best-selling nonfiction book, ‘Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus’.

Because men and women are both created in God’s image, yet are different, there are then, certain ways in which women reflect God’s image, in a way that men do not. And likewise, there are certain ways in which men reflect God’s image, in a way that women do not. In their similarities they reflect God’s image in the same way, and in their differences, they reflect God’s image in unique ways.

This means that if there were no females on the earth, but only males, God would not be fully imaged in the way He intended. Likewise, if there were no males, but only females, God would again not be imaged as He intended. God’s creation intention for humanity then, involves both male and female, for neither on their own completely reflects His intended image.

Then to further image God’s tri-unity, God’s creation design, is for a man and woman to be united together in a marriage covenant, where the two become one-flesh. They are no longer two, but one-flesh, joined together by God himself, for life (Matt 19:5-6). The marriage union of two distinct persons into one-flesh, reflects that God is one God, subsisting of three distinct persons. And because the persons of the Godhead are distinct – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, not Father, Father, and Father – only the complimentary relationship of man and woman image this. The mirror relationship of woman and woman, or man and man do not.

Furthermore, a woman who uniquely images God in certain ways that a man does not, and a man who uniquely images God in ways that a woman does not; come together so that each beautifully compliments the other, creating a one-flesh union that now does fully and completely reflect God’s image as He intended. While neither man nor woman on their own, fully reflect the image God intended, their one-flesh union does. So, God’s design for marriage involves, two people of opposite genders, forming a one-flesh union that fully reflects God’s intended image. Homosexual relationships cannot do this.

A man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh, they are no longer two, but one flesh (Matt 19:5)

The order of creation also reveals God’s intention. It is not arbitrary that God created man first – God does nothing arbitrarily. While He always intended to create humankind male and female, He made man first. God then put the man in the garden, where he saw all the other creatures had a suitable mate, except him. Here the man realises what God has already stated, that “it is not good for the man to be alone” (Gen 2:18). In fact, it was never intended that man be alone, and to make this abundantly obvious, and to ensure man wouldn’t overlook this point, God gave the man a taste of aloneness, so that he understood his need, and would appreciate how perfectly suited the woman would be for him. Then God made woman. It is important to recognise that God’s solution to the aloneness of man (which was not good), is woman. The solution was not to give the man a male companion, or the ability to reproduce on his own. Woman is the perfectly complimentary, intended design of God for the man, and vice versa.

Another aspect of God’s design for marriage, seen in creation, is procreation. Immediately after God creates the first people, He blesses them and gives them this instruction, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it” (Gen 1:28). God’s creation intention then, is for His image bearing people, to increase in number and fill the earth, so that the whole earth is filled with His image.

As we know, God has only made procreation possible through the union of a man and woman. God did not make it possible for individuals; nor did He make it possible for people of the same gender. God’s design for procreation, and the raising of children, is for it to happen in the committed, monogamous, lifelong, covenant, one-flesh union of marriage.

There is more that can be said about God’s design for marriage, especially its illustration of the relationship between Christ and the Church (Eph 5:32), but this is beyond the scope of this blog. Also, no argument has been made for or against the validity of homosexual relationships, which in Australia, have all the same rights and benefits as heterosexual relationships. The argument made here, is simply that homosexual relationships do not meet the qualifications of God’s intended design for marriage, they are something different to marriage.

]]>http://bellbowrie.org/gods-design-for-marriage/feed/1The Definition of Marriagehttp://bellbowrie.org/the-definition-of-marriage/
http://bellbowrie.org/the-definition-of-marriage/#commentsTue, 19 Sep 2017 08:29:24 +0000http://bellbowrie.org/?p=236Read More »]]> The following reply was provided in response to some questions asked by journalist Jasmin Lill, from Westside News. A small part of this reply is used on Page 5, of Westside News, print edition (Wed 20 Sept, 2017); and a larger part is used in an online article on Courier Mail.

Christians have always held, that our ultimate source of authority is God’s Word, the Bible, and that God intends Christians to follow His ways, and align their views with His Word. The Church has also traditionally believed, that part of its role in society involves telling people what God says.

The definition of marriage, is something the Bible speaks about, namely that marriage is not a human construct, but was designed by God in the beginning with a purpose, and is between a man and a woman. This has been the norm for thousands of years, and has been the norm in Australia from the beginning.

As such, on Friday 8th September, we put a message on our street sign, outside Bellbowrie Community Church, to present God’s view. It is not a message of hate, it does not tell people how to vote, it does not mention gay people, it simply states what God says about marriage in the Bible. It reads, “God designed marriage between a man & a woman.” In this we are trying to communicate, that if people believe in God, they should consider what He says. Alternatively, if people don’t believe in God, they will simply ignore what He says.

On Saturday, I became aware that some people were responding negatively to the sign on Facebook. I also had a few phone messages, and some emails, but mostly it has been on Facebook. There are two sides to this debate, so it was no surprise that some do not agree with the sign. But what did surprise me was the degree of malice expressed by some, which could only be described as hate speech.

Of the virtues Australians hold dear, freedom and freedom of speech are near the top. This means gay people are entitled to speak their minds, and anybody who does not agree with their views, should still respect them, and not abuse them for expressing their opinions. In a free country, Christians also have this right. They do not expect everyone will agree, but should they not expect the same freedom to speak, and be given the same respect, that they give to others?

Is a society civilised, if its people cannot live together in harmony and respect, even caring for each other, while holding different opinions? Is it naïve to think that people can hold different opinions without getting angry at those who think differently, and without insisting everyone must think the same?

For many in our church, the Facebook activity has been difficult. And as a result, many now realise that it is no longer easy, to hold and express a Christian viewpoint in Australia. To date I have answered every negative email, and have extended an invitation to all who contact me, to meet in person.

There have also been a few occasions where a protestor with a signboard, has protested on the street outside the church. The beauty of a free country is that they are welcome to do this, and we don’t begrudge it. It can be hot out there, so we have tried to give any protestor, some bottled water, when somebody has been at the church.

There are however, some in the community who are supportive of the sign, have thanked me for our stand, but are afraid to say anything on Facebook for fear of being abused. But apart from Facebook, I have had more supportive emails, phone calls, and visits, than I have had negative ones.

As a pastor, it is not my place to tell people how to vote. However, I do believe it is my role, to tell people what God says. I have done this with my congregation on this issue, and they are free to vote however they choose. There are some in our church who disagree with me, or at least the public display of our sign, but in this we are an example that people can hold different opinions, but still respect, love, and care for each other in community.

Many of us have friends and family who are gay, and it is absurd to think we hate them. We love them very much. And we can hold different views, and still love them. So, this does not need to be a source of division throughout Australia. We can differ, yet still respect and care for each other, and let the voting determine the issue.

Finally, many Christians do not see their opposition to re-defining marriage, as necessarily an anti-gay stance. Homosexual relationships are already legally recognised in Australia, and this is not being opposed. Christians who oppose the re-definition of marriage, may not be opposed to some other legal way of recognising gay people who wish to make a deep, lifetime commitment to each other. They are simply opposed to changing the definition of marriage into something different to what God designed it to be.

]]>http://bellbowrie.org/the-definition-of-marriage/feed/8Reading the Bible Devotionally (as Scripture)http://bellbowrie.org/reading-the-bible-devotionally-as-scripture/
http://bellbowrie.org/reading-the-bible-devotionally-as-scripture/#commentsSat, 23 Jan 2016 07:25:44 +0000http://bellbowrie.org/?p=200Read More »]]>The Bible is clearly a very important book, as evidenced by the fact that it is the all-time bestselling, as well as the most translated book in history. Many non-Christians even attest to its significance, and spend time reading it. And this highlights that fact that the Bible can be read in a number of different ways.

The way different people read is usually determined by what they think the primary significance of the Bible is. For example, if someone thinks the Bible is primarily a historical document, then they will read it in a historical way, with the attitude that they are reading a history book. If someone thinks the Bible is significant primarily due to the philosophical teaching it contains, then they will read it in a philosophical way, with the attitude they are reading a philosophy book. And there are some merits to reading the Bible in different ways, because in part, the Bible is many of these things – history, philosophy, literature, etc.

But this raises the question – what is the primary significance of the Bible? Because this will determine how we should read it. The answer for Christians is that the Bible is more than just history, philosophy, and literature; above all else the Bible is Scripture, it is the very ‘Word of God,’ in which God communicates and reveals Himself to humanity. The primary intention of Scripture though is not just to reveal God, but also to shape and transform the thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and actions of God’s people, so that they increasingly turn to Him, and grow in commitment, trust, obedience, and devotion to this God that Scripture reveals.

“Above all else the Bible is Scripture – the very Word of God”

In Hebrews we are told that the Word of God is alive and active, sharper than any sword, it penetrates our inner being, our very soul, and reveals our sin, the thoughts and attitudes of our heart (Heb 4:12). We are told a similar thing in James, that the Word of God is like a mirror, it reveals what is wrong with us – our sin. Now when we look in a mirror and see something wrong with our appearance, we fix it – we don’t walk away and ignore it. The Word of God has this same function, it is a mirror revealing what is wrong, and if we ignore it, if we just read or listen to the Word without doing what it says, without repenting and changing, then James says we are just deceiving ourselves about being God’s children (Jam 1:22-24).

Merely reading the Bible then, is not the same thing as reading Scripture in a devotional way. Reading Scripture devotionally is not about obtaining information, retrieving facts, or mastering certain data; it is ultimately about reading with the intention of being shaped and transformed by God.

Last year, a number of us at Bellbowrie Community Church read through the entire Bible as part of the Radical Experiment. And this was fruitful in providing a broad sweeping overview of the biblical narrative, establishing a 20-25 minute daily pattern of Bible reading, and being part of a community reading together. For all these benefits though, reading the Bible in a year is not the same as reading the Bible devotionally as Scripture, mainly because the volume that needs to be read each day, along with the time this takes, makes it impractical for most people to reflect upon it all devotionally.

So this year I am proposing a new reading plan that involves a smaller amount of daily reading, which in turn will free up time for us to reflect on each reading devotionally. The plan is called “Project 51” and involves reading just one chapter of the New Testament each weekday, and then some Psalms during the weekend in preparation for Sunday worship together as a church. This will see us read the entire New Testament and Psalms over the course of 51 weeks.

The intention would be to continue with the habit we now have of spending 20-25 minutes each day in the Word. But because the average New Testament chapter takes only 3 minutes, 45 seconds to read, this now provides time for us to reflect devotionally on what we are reading.

In the next post, I’ll provide more detail on how to read Scripture devotionally, but for now this simple outline will give you the idea:

Pray – Begin each reading by asking God to reveal Himself, and yourself as you read.

Read – With humility, focusing on the changes you need, not what other people need.

Meditate – Read it slowly a 2nd time, pausing at intervals to think, repent, and pray.

Write – Record your thoughts, and key verses in a journal.

Action – Take one thought or verse and determine how to put it into practice today.

Pray – Praise God for who he is, pray through the things you’ve read, and ask for help to repent and live out what was read.

We’ll look to start “Project 51” together as a church on Monday 1st February 2016.

]]>http://bellbowrie.org/reading-the-bible-devotionally-as-scripture/feed/1Walking Away From Church – John Piperhttp://bellbowrie.org/walking-away-from-church/
Thu, 17 Dec 2015 02:38:37 +0000http://bellbowrie.org/?p=194Read More »]]>This is a transcript from an interview with John Piper, who responds to people who say, “I’m not walking away from Jesus, but I am done with the church, but I’ve seen the failure of the local church, and its leaders, I can’t trust them anymore, so I am not going to walk away from Jesus, but I am done with the organized aspect of local church life.”

John Piper responds:

If you do that, you are walking away from Jesus.

Here is the reason: To say, “I love Jesus, but I don’t submit to his word” is a lie. “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word” (John 14:23). Jesus founded the church. I didn’t. Paul didn’t. Jesus founded the church. He established apostles to be — according to Ephesians 2:20 — the foundation of the church. And then he built it with prophets and teachers and pastors and ordained that there be a structure of local churches in the body of Christ called the church.

This is not man’s idea. There are a lot of young evangelicals who are cool, hip, and leftward-leaning who think they can substitute something for organized church. Well, I would have to look at what they are substituting and say: Are you really just creating church, trying to create church? If you are trying to create church, just create it biblically. Start a biblical church. And that means listening to your Master and his word and his apostles.

So the choice of Jesus over church implies a choice of your opinion over the Bible, because the Bible is where we meet Jesus. You can’t make Jesus up. You can’t make him up. He is the Jesus of the Bible or he is the Jesus of your imagination. If he is the Jesus of the Bible, you take the whole Jesus. You can’t carve him up in pieces. And the whole Jesus is the Jesus who loves the church. He died for the church.

]]>Producing Fruit – Forgiveness (part 2)http://bellbowrie.org/producing-fruit-forgiveness-part-2/
Thu, 08 Jan 2015 02:10:31 +0000http://bellbowrie.org/?p=124Read More »]]>In the last post we looked at forgiveness as a ‘fruit’ of the Holy Spirit that demonstrates we are a genuine Christian. If the Holy Spirit dwells in us (i.e. we are a Christian) then He will transform us into people of forgiveness, who will forgive others when they wrong us, in the same way that God forgives us. Clearly Christians must be people of forgiveness, but what exactly is biblical forgiveness?

What forgiveness is NOT

Forgiveness is not merely accepting an apology from someone who has hurt us. It is one thing to respond positively to an apology by speaking words of forgiveness; it is another thing entirely to actually forgive them. Some indications that we have not genuinely forgiven someone are:

We continue to dwell on past incidents of wrongdoing

We continue to speak about these past incidents to others

We use these past incidents against this person

We act coldly toward this person

We avoid this person

We make cutting remarks to this person

We speak negatively about this person to others

We are more demanding with this person than we are with others

We do or say things to make this person feel small

We do not want genuine reconciliation of the relationship

We resist nurturing a personal friendship/relationship with this person

We do not pray positively for the good of this person

We justify the way we treat this person

What biblical forgiveness really IS

Jesus often described sin and forgiveness as a debt (e.g. Matt 6:12; 18:21-35), because when we are seriously wronged, our natural inclination is to view the person who wronged us as owing us something. Their wrongdoing creates a sense of obligation, a liability, a debt, and we feel a compulsion to make that person pay this debt. We might consider the debt cancelled when we have hurt them back, yelled at them, made them feel bad, or seen something bad happen to them. We reason that when they suffer in a similar (or usually greater) way than we did, then the debt will be paid, and the obligation gone. This is natural human tendency.

Biblical forgiveness however, is to give up this right we think we have to seek retribution against a person who harms us, and as such, biblical forgiveness is a form of voluntary Christian suffering. Consider this example. If a friend borrows my laptop computer, and breaks it when it accidently falls out of his bag while he is riding his bike – a debt is incurred. If the computer costs $400 to fix, then breaking the computer has incurred a debt of $400. If my friend fixes the computer, then I get my computer back but it has cost him. If on the other hand I forgive him, the debt doesn’t simply vanish, but I absorb the cost of the debt instead – either I will pay the $400 to fix it, or I will lose the use of my computer. Biblical forgiveness then is to cancel a debt by paying or absorbing it ourself. Someone must always pay the debt, and when we forgive, that someone is us.

Whenever someone sins against us we lose something, it might be an opportunity, a relationship, our happiness, our peace, our property, our reputation, etc. We then have two choices; we can seek retribution by pay­ing the person back in a similar or greater way, or we can choose to forgive them and refuse to pay them back by absorbing the loss or damage ourself. Either way, there is a debt and it cannot be dealt with without suffering – either we make the perpetrator suffer, or we forgive and suffer for it ourself. Biblical forgiveness then is costly, and emotionally expensive.

To genuinely forgive someone means to commit to the following:

We refuse to do anything to hurt the person; we refuse vengeance, payback, or inflicting pain on them in any way.

We refuse to engage in innuendo, hints, gossip, slander, or negative speech that can damage their reputation. We don’t run them down under the guise of ‘speaking the truth’, ‘warning people about them’, ‘needing support’, or ‘sharing our hurt.’

We refuse to dwell on past incidents of wrongdoing by replaying them in our imagination (this only keeps us hostile toward them by keeping the hurt and loss fresh). We refuse to play detective by making assumptions about their actions, and we refuse to vilify, or demonise the offender in our mind.

We commit to pray positively for their growth, and seek over time to restore and rebuild the broken relationship.

Biblical forgiveness then is not easy, it is difficult and painful, it involves us suffering as we bear the cost of someone else’s sin. This means that it is likely that biblical forgiveness is something that we grant before it is something we feel. Contrary to popular opinion, we are never justified in denying forgiveness based on our emotions; instead the Bible tells us it is sinful to be driven or controlled by improper emotions. So we must always do what is right, even when our emotions disagree, because when we are obedient to God regardless of how we feel, wrong emotions are starved and eventually replaced with right feelings.

If we are children of God then, despite the suffering involved, we will forgive for the sake of Christ, because we love Him above all – because our love for Him is greater than our desire for retribution, or for anything else. Most importantly however, as we bear the cost of forgiveness for another person, we are following in the footsteps of our Lord and Saviour (1Pet 2:21; Matt 18:21-35; Col 3:12-15) and this provides evidence that the Holy Spirit is transforming us.

People often ask, “Why did Jesus have to die? Couldn’t God just forgive us?” In reality though, no one who is sinned against ‘just forgives!’ There is no such option, either the offender must pay the cost, or the offender is forgiven and the offended one pays. There is never forgiveness without suffering, and this of course points to our marvellous Saviour who on the cross innocently and willingly suffered beyond description in order to forgive us. When we receive this forgiveness from God we also receive His Holy Spirit who empowers us to obey His command, and forgive others in this same way. And when people see us doing this it points them to God and He is glorified (Matt 5:16).

(For further reading see, Timothy Keller, Serving Each Other through Forgiveness and Reconciliation.)

]]>Producing Fruit – Forgiveness (part 1)http://bellbowrie.org/producing-fruit-forgiveness-part-1/
Tue, 04 Nov 2014 10:59:49 +0000http://bellbowrie.org/?p=70Read More »]]>The conclusion of the last post was that we can know we have genuinely become a Christian if our life changes and we live differently, as we are transformed by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. Jesus referred to this as producing fruit, where if the Holy Spirit is in us our life will produce good fruit, but if the Holy Spirit is not in us our life will produce bad fruit. Therefore we can know we are a Christian if our life is producing good fruit (Luke 6:43-45). The Bible tells us that this is our purpose as Christians – the very reason God has chosen us is to bear good fruit (John 15:16; Rom 7:4; Col 1:10) for this brings glory to God and demonstrates we are followers of Jesus Christ (John 15:8).

One of these ‘fruit’ that demonstrates we really are a Christian is forgiveness. If the Holy Spirit is in us then we will be people of forgiveness, who personally receive forgiveness from God, and then personally extend forgiveness to others. God’s intention is not just that we receive forgiveness, but that as a result of receiving we also extend it. When we are hurt by others (and we will be) or have a grievance against someone, we are commanded to be kind, compassionate, tolerant, and forgive them in the same way that God forgives us (Col 3:13; Eph 4:32). This of course is not only difficult, but unnatural, and near on impossible – unless the Holy Spirit is in us.

So many of the problems we have in church today result from the refusal to forgive. People choose to hold grudges and resentment instead, and it makes them a prisoner to bitterness, anger, recrimination, retribution, and guilt, robbing them of true joy (not to mention destroying the love, unity, and witness of the local church). It is not only good for the offender when we forgive; it is best for us as well, because forgiveness frees us from this bondage and releases a joy that is able to heal every hurt. Forgiveness opens our hearts to God and our lives to Him working in us.

It helps to also remember the incredible debt that God has first forgiven us. When we begin to comprehend the depth of our own depravity, weakness, and need, it is harder to be angry and judgemental of others who, like us are also weak. When we understand how deeply fallen we are, and the subsequent enormity of what we are forgiven, we should no longer respond to offenses with inflamed pride, but rather – empowered by the Holy Spirit – respond with love and forgiveness as God does. It was for our own transgressions that our Saviour suffered the agony of death nailed to a Roman cross. We have wronged Him far greater than anyone has wronged us (no one has tortured us to death on a cross), yet He forgave, and in His forgiveness also gave His Spirit so that in our gratitude, we would treat others the same as God treats us. To not forgive others is to actually be ungrateful to God (Matt 18:32-35).

While our culture promotes our natural inclination to selfishly focus on ourselves, the core ethic of following Jesus Christ is to put the interests of others ahead of our own (Phil 2:3-4; Matt 22:39-40), and forgiving other people is one of the practical ways we do this.

While we often make all sorts of excuses to justify unforgiveness, the reality is that Jesus and the Bible do not allow Christians any other option except forgiveness. When Jesus taught his followers how to pray, he teaches them to ask for forgiveness from God daily, along with the grace to forgive others at the same time. The two are wrapped together in the same sentence so that Christians ask God to forgive them, on the basis that they themselves are also forgiving others (Luke 11:4). Jesus then states it even more emphatically by saying that unless we forgive other people, God will not forgive us (Matt 6:14-15). This does not mean that God’s forgiveness is conditional, or that He cannot forgive people who have been unforgiving. It is rather that refusal to forgive is an indication that someone is probably not a Christian (has not received forgiveness from God) in the first place. An unforgiving disposition is an indication of: pride, lack of real repentance, not having received God’s forgiveness, not having the Holy Spirit, and therefore of not being a Christian. Until someone honestly repents, they will not be forgiven, they will not be a Christian, they will not receive the Holy Spirit, and so they will not be able to forgive. Forgiveness is a ‘fruit’ that indicates the Holy Spirit is in us, transforming us and enabling us to do what we could not otherwise do.

Given the consequences are so dire, it is worth repeating what some now refer to as the forgotten command. Jesus said that if we will not forgive others their sins, God will not forgive our sins (Matt 6:15). This should have us all asking one essential question, “Is there really any grievance, wrongdoing, or sin, so great that I am prepared to lose eternal life for, rather than forgive?”

We exist to elevate God above everything else, and while it is good for others and good for us when we forgive, ultimately God wants us to forgive because it brings Him glory. For when the world observes us forgiving and loving other people in a way that they are not able to, it points to the God who has forgiven us, and empowered us through His Spirit to do the same. When people see our forgiveness and understand that we do it because this is exactly what God does for us, then God is glorified. Forgiving others then, is a practical demonstration of the authenticity of the gospel, where people see this good fruit, recognise its supernatural source, and glorify God as a result (Matt 5:16).

In the next post we will look at what biblical forgiveness really is.

]]>How can I be sure I am a Christian?http://bellbowrie.org/how-can-i-be-sure-i-am-a-christian/
Thu, 02 Oct 2014 07:07:03 +0000http://bellbowrie.org/?p=63Read More »]]>I recently read a gospel tract that I thought for the most part did a great job of explaining succinctly what it means to begin following Jesus Christ as a Christian. One thing I found a little disturbing though, was a page toward the end entitled, “How can I be sure I am a Christian?” The answer provided was that if we believe in God, and have prayed the sinner’s prayer, then God is in our life and we just need to believe it, and ignore any doubt or feelings to the contrary as they are not accurate.

I would answer this question differently. It is true that we can completely trust the promises God makes in the Bible, and He does promise that anyone who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ will have eternal life (1John 5:11-13; John 1:12; 3:16; Acts 16:31, etc), this is a certain fact that we can be sure about. The real question though is what does it mean to believe? Because the Bible testifies that even the demons believe to a degree, yet they will not be saved (Jam 2:19). The type of belief we must have, is more than mere intellectual assent to the facts; it must involve repentance of our sin, faith that Christ has atoned for our sin, and surrender to Christ as Lord – which involves obedience to God’s commands, particularly that we love Him above everything else.

Also while our emotions can be subjective and inaccurate at times, I am hesitant to rule them out of the equation, as God often communicates to us through our conscience and feelings. In particular the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin and our need to repent through our conscience and emotions. When Peter preached his great sermon at Pentecost, the Bible says people “were cut to the heart” (Acts 2:37) and this lead to their repentance. In the first instance then, particularly when we have feelings of guilt or conviction, we shouldn’t just ignore these; our first response should be to ask whether God is speaking to us and whether there is something we need to repent of?

We are saved by the grace of God alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone. It is the work of God and when He begins this work of salvation in us, He gives us His Holy Spirit (Gal 3:14), and this begins in us a process where we are increasingly transformed into the image of Jesus Christ (Rom 8:29; 2Cor 3:18). As the Holy Spirit transforms, conforms, shapes and moulds us, our life begins to produce fruit (John 15:1-5; 8; 16; Rom 7:4; Col 1:10), and this fruit is evidence that the Holy Spirit dwells in us, God is at work in us, and we really are a Christian.

The evidence that we have become a Christian then is that our life begins to change and we live differently as we are transformed and live more and more for God. So the Bible encourages us to examine ourselves – to test ourselves and determine whether we really are in the faith (2Cor 13:5). Jesus said that not everyone who claims to be a Christian really is (Matt 7:21-23), some people are genuinely deceived, and we will be able to recognise both those who are false, and those who are genuine, by the fruit their life produces (Matt 7:16-20). If the Holy Spirit dwells in us, then our life must produce good fruit, while on the other hand if the Holy Spirit is not in us, then our life will produce rotten fruit. Each person can be recognised by the fruit they produce (Luke 6:43-45).

In the coming weeks then, I intend to write more posts looking at some of the ‘fruit’ that provides evidence of whether we really are a Christian. And the first fruit I want to examine is forgiveness – which in my opinion is a major issue, and the root of so many problems in the church. People choose to hold grudges, and bitterness, and refuse to forgive others. One of the fruits of the Holy Spirit’s transforming work however, is that we will be people who forgive others. In fact Jesus says quite plainly that if we will not forgive other people, then God will not forgive our sin (Matt 6:15), and if our sin is not forgiven, then we are not a Christian – we will not be saved.

The fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23)
]]>Money and Possessionshttp://bellbowrie.org/money-and-possessions/
http://bellbowrie.org/money-and-possessions/#commentsThu, 18 Sep 2014 01:22:47 +0000http://bellbowrie.org/?p=49Read More »]]>Last Sunday at Bellbowrie Community Church we concluded a four week series looking at Christian attitudes to money and possessions. If you missed any of these messages you can download them at the bottom of this post. The final message was a 10 point action plan suggesting 10 practical steps to work through in order to apply what we have learnt to the way we live our everyday life. The following is a summary of these 10 actions points (for more detail, download the message).
Jesus said… “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matt 19:24)

1. Study and Pray

Take time to study what the Bible says about money and giving, and make it a regular topic of prayer for an extended period of time. Ask God’s guidance as you formulate or re-evaluate what you will give for the work of God.

2. Make a Decision

Each person must decide in their own heart what to give (2Cor 9:7), so make this decision. A recommended place to start is with a tithe (10%) and once you are able to do this, we should try to go as far beyond it as possible.

3. Make it a Sacrifice

The Bible uses the Macedonian churches as a model for us to follow. In the middle of severe trial and extreme poverty, they had overflowing joy and pleaded for the privilege of serving God through giving, they gave even beyond their ability (2Cor 8:1-5).

4. Have a Family Discussion(s)

Discuss and then make your decision with your spouse and children because the decision affects them too. What will each person intentionally give up in order to spend that money for the work of God instead?

5. Develop a Giving Plan

Write your decision down, including your giving intervals (weekly, fortnightly, monthly), and keep a record of when and where you give to ensure you stick to the plan. Ideally give at intervals that coincide with the start of a pay period, in case there is nothing left at the end.

6. Be Accountable

Find another person, couple, or family to discuss your income, spending patterns, and lifestyle choices with and let them have input into your giving plan. Then encourage and keep each other accountable to the plan you develop.

7. Consider your Estate

Our estate also belongs to God and we are obligated to use it for His glory. Our children may or may not be the wisest people to manage it. If we deem they are, we should teach and discuss ideas with them for how it can be best used for God once we are gone.

8. Some Advice from John Wesley

Who would ask four questions when he considering making a purchase. 1) Am I acting like God’s trustee, or like I own this money? 2) Does any Scripture require me to spend this way? 3) Can I offer this purchase as a sacrifice to God? 4) Will God reward me for this expenditure on judgement day?

9. Where to Give?

Primarily to God’s main objective for the Church – the great commission (Matt 28:18-20). The two components of this that need regular funds are, preaching the gospel in new areas, and the set up and ongoing running of local churches as the place Christians learn to obey the commands of Christ.

10. A 50/50 Financial Goal for BCC

To become a church that spends the same on others as we do on ourselves (Matt 22:36-40), with a goal to spend this 50% primarily in areas of the world that are currently unreached for Jesus Christ. This requires us to double the current amount we give to the equivalent of $52/week for every adult (which is less than 5% of the median Australian salary).

]]>http://bellbowrie.org/money-and-possessions/feed/3The Importance of Going to Church (part 2)http://bellbowrie.org/the-importance-of-going-to-church-part-2/
http://bellbowrie.org/the-importance-of-going-to-church-part-2/#commentsWed, 23 Jul 2014 06:55:02 +0000http://bellbowrie.org/?p=35Read More »]]>In the last post we saw that the Bible tells us we have a responsibility to raise our children in the ways of God, according to biblical principles, where they learn what it means to follow Jesus Christ. We also looked at recent statistics that demonstrate one of the best things we can do to encourage our children to begin, and remain followers of Jesus, is to ensure they regularly go to church – something the Bible commands all Christians to do.

This week I read an article by Marsha Sauls PhD who states “It is amazing how well our kids learn what we teach them. The only problem is that most of the things they learn from parents is communicated without words. This is probably why most parents have made the statement ‘If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it one hundred times and they just don’t get it!’ And that’s true, most kids don’t ‘get it’ by listening.”

As a parent I find this rather scary because it means that my children are not learning as much through what I am teaching them verbally, as they are through observing what I do and how I act. This is particularly relevant for us as a church, because we are currently studying the epistle of James in our Sunday morning 10am service, and James insists that our speech and actions must align if our faith is genuine. In fact, the research confirms the biblical perspective, that what we do is more important than what we say.

If we act in a hypocritical manner, and our actions contradict what we say, it would be nice if our children (and our peers) just listened to our speech and ignored our actions. But unfortunately it actually works the other way around – people observe our actions and ignore our speech. If a parent teaches their child not to lie, giving an excellent explanation of the reasons why this is important, but the child later sees their parent telling lies, then despite what the parent has taught and explained the child has really learnt that it is acceptable to tell lies.

So, if we tell our children that the most important thing in life is a relationship with God, and yet we don’t regularly take them to church like God commands, then what do they actually learn? If we wake up Sunday morning to beautiful blue skies and idyllic beach weather, and take the family to the beach instead of church, then despite what we say to our children, what they actually learn is that going to the beach is more important than God and doing what He commands.

I like the way Greg Laurie expresses it. He says the Bible commands us not only to go to church but also to be a functioning part of it. The Bible tells us to regularly meet together to encourage and spur one another on in the faith. Notice there is no subordinate clause in this command. The Bible does not tell us to regularly meet together, unless it’s a great day for the beach, unless you want to play sport, unless Sunday is the best day to spend with family, unless you would prefer to sleep in, unless Sunday is your only day off, unless you have an exam on Monday, unless, unless, unless. There is no unless in this command.

]]>http://bellbowrie.org/the-importance-of-going-to-church-part-2/feed/3The Importance of Going to Church (part 1)http://bellbowrie.org/the-importance-of-going-to-church-part-1/
http://bellbowrie.org/the-importance-of-going-to-church-part-1/#commentsTue, 15 Jul 2014 06:56:08 +0000http://bellbowrie.org/?p=22Read More »]]>Perhaps one of the most disappointing things for a Christian, is to see another person who at one stage claimed to be a Christian, turn their back on the Lord Jesus Christ and no longer follow him. It is particularly discouraging when this person is a good friend, or a family member. It is even more devastating though, when it is one (or more) of your own children who turn their back on God.

It is not something I have personally experienced, and I pray every day that I never will. But I have grieved with other Christian parents who have, and ‘grieve’ is certainly the right word to use. It really is heart-breaking for a parent to see the child they love so dearly, choose death instead of life. In this situation the inevitable question these parents ask is, “What could I have done differently?”

First of all we need to understand that coming to faith in God is a supernatural act of the Holy Spirit, that we can’t make happen. Only God can do it, for faith is a gift of grace from Him (Eph 2:8). But at the same time God expects us to co-operate with Him, and be His servants that He can use and work through. The Apostle Paul tells us that he and others planted the seed of the gospel and watered it, and then God made it grow (1Cor 3:6-7). While only God makes the seed grow, we can prepare the ground (plough, plant, water) in an attempt to produce optimum conditions for that growth to take place.

This is our responsibility as Christian parents, in fact the Bible commands us (Deut 6:4-9) to raise and nurture our children according to biblical principles where they grow in knowledge of God, and learn what it means to follow Jesus Christ. One very important and yet very simple thing that helps us do this, is becoming increasingly neglected in our culture. Studies show that one of the best things we can do for our children is to ensure they go to church regularly. I was very surprised by the following statistics from the US (Greg Laurie, Harvest Ministries, 5th Oct 2013):

If both parents regularly attend church, then the chance of their children later attending church in adulthood is 72%.

If Dad regularly attends church but Mum does not, then the chance of their children later attending church in adulthood drops to 55%.

If Mum regularly attends church but Dad does not, then the chance of their children later attending church in adulthood drops to 15%.

If both parents attend church irregularly, then the chance of their children later attending church in adulthood drops to 6%.

While raising our children in a biblical manner involves more than what we do on Sunday morning, these statistics suggest that regular church attendance alone increases the odds of our children being followers of Christ in their adulthood by 66%. We probably shouldn’t be so surprised by this, after all the Bible commands us to regularly meet together. Not only does this elevate God, but it is also for our own good, God knows what is best for us, even when we do not. These figures highlight that regular church attendance is important, and has inspired me to write a series of future posts outlining some of the reasons why.

Regular church attendance on its own though is no guarantee that our children will come to faith in Christ. At the end of the day all we can do is our best, and if we follow God’s instructions in His Word, then we can be confident we have given our children the best opportunity we could. Not every family has two believing parents, or even two parents. All God asks is that we do the best we can with whatever circumstances we have, and trust Him to do the rest, knowing our mighty God is bigger than these statistics.

My parents sent me to Sunday school but never attended church themselves and were not Christians, so the odds were stacked against me – probably somewhere less than 6%. But as Jesus told his disciples, “with God all things are possible” (Matt 19:25-26). When the odds are against us, we must do our best, and then be in regular prayer for God to do the rest. God can overcome any odds. I’d be happy to pray for you also, just let me know.